Case Study Overview

McKeon Stone is a leading Irish limestone quarrying and stone processing business, operating from Threecastles Quarry in Kilkenny with additional commercial operations across multiple sites in Ireland.

With high electricity consumption across its quarrying and processing operations, McKeon Stone required a more structured procurement approach to improve cost control and reduce exposure to wholesale market volatility.

Utilityfair carried out a full market comparison of McKeon Stone’s electricity contracts across all meters, reviewing supplier pricing, contract structures, and available term lengths to identify the most cost-effective procurement strategy.

Following this analysis, McKeon Stone transitioned to a 12-month fixed-price electricity contract, delivering annual savings of €20,591 and significantly improving cost certainty across its operations.

Key highlights: €20,591 in annual electricity savings, improved price certainty through fixed-rate procurement, and reduced exposure to wholesale market volatility.

McKeon Stone Energy Review: Key Figures
Industry	Quarrying, stone processing and construction materials
Location	Laois and Kilkenny
Annual Electricity Usage	690,015 kWh
Annual Spend	€213,393
Procurement Strategy	Competitive review and fixed-price procurement
Contract Length	12 months
Outcome	€20,591 annual electricity savings

Customer Testimonial: McKeon Stone on Working With Utilityfair

"I spoke with Sean, a senior advisor who provided clear and comprehensive answers to all of our queries and delivered a prompt, competitive quotation that resulted in significant savings on our energy costs. He was polite, efficient and courteous throughout, and I would certainly recommend Utilityfair."

— Yvonne McKeon, Director, McKeon Stone

The Challenge: Managing Energy Costs Across Multiple Counties

McKeon Stone operates across three locations in Laois and Kilkenny, with significant commercial electricity demand driven by quarrying and stone processing activities.

Electricity costs are one of the business’s largest operating expenses, making effective procurement and cost control essential across all sites.

Prior to engaging Utilityfair, the business was exposed to expensive out-of-contract electricity rates across its facilities. In addition, it was on a wholesale tracker contract, leaving it vulnerable to volatility in the wholesale electricity market during a period of heightened geopolitical uncertainty.

Recognising this exposure, McKeon Stone sought an independent review of its energy procurement strategy to identify opportunities to reduce costs and improve price certainty.

How McKeon Stone Worked with Utilityfair to Reduce Electricity Costs

Utilityfair worked with McKeon Stone to review its billing data and resolve a number of outstanding queries raised by the business. This included clarifying the all-in unit rate, which was not clearly itemised on invoices, and reconciling the previous 12 months of charges to establish a fully accurate baseline of energy spend across all meters.

Together with the McKeon Stone team, we reviewed the ESB meter configuration and Maximum Import Capacity settings and how these impacted pricing structure, billing methodology and the range of available contract options.

With a clear baseline in place, we carried out a full market comparison across all suppliers, contract structures and available contract lengths, ensuring McKeon Stone had visibility of the full range of procurement options rather than a limited selection of offers.

Each option was presented in a structured format, including annualised costs, unit rates and projected savings, enabling a direct like-for-like comparison between fixed-price and variable-rate structures.

We then worked through the commercial implications of each option with McKeon Stone, clearly outlining the trade-offs between price certainty and exposure to wholesale market movements.

Following this review, McKeon Stone decided to proceed with a fixed-price contract across all three electricity meters, improving overall price certainty. Utilityfair then managed the full contracting and switching process across all sites, coordinating the transition to ensure uninterrupted operations.

Results: €20,591 in Annual Electricity Savings

Total Savings: €20,591 in annual electricity cost savings, representing a 10% reduction in overall spend.
Unit Rate Improvement: Average unit rates decreased by 2.98 c/kWh across three commercial electricity meters following the move to a fixed-price contract structure.
Contract Structure Improvement: McKeon Stone moved from a variable-rate arrangement to a fixed-price contract across all three electricity meters. The contract was secured during a period of relatively low wholesale electricity pricing, allowing the business to lock in favourable rates.
Budget Certainty: Moving to a fixed-price structure provided predictable electricity costs for the contract term, supporting budgeting, forecasting and operational planning.

Are You Looking for a Better Energy Deal?

Call 01 547 0999 or click below to request a free energy review. We will assess your current energy contracts, highlight any potential savings opportunities, and advise on the most suitable procurement options for your business. If you are happy to proceed, we will arrange the new contracts for you with no disruption to your business whatsoever. Utilityfair helps businesses reduce energy costs through competitive procurement.